For eight years I touted the benefits of the skin care line I proudly sold, and I sincerely believed no one should have been using anything else because the ingredients in all of the world's other products simply weren't pure, safe, or beneficial enough. Once in a while I would run into someone who (gasp!) made her own skin care products ... at home. That just blew my mind. My research assured me that such practices weren't safe, partly because homemade products would grow rancid and moldy quickly unless they were kept in the refrigerator, but I couldn't help secretly wondering if the lack of preservatives wouldn't actually be safer and healthier for the skin and body. I dismissed such ideas ... until I began using essential oils, which have the power to preserve and make products naturally anti-aging as well as helpful for fighting acne, diminishing the appearance of scars, helping the skin repair itself following sun exposure, and more. Mind blown, again, and I just had to start experimenting. Wouldn't you know it? The first issue of dōTERRA's Living magazine that I received featured recipes for making your own skin care!
One of my team members says there are two categories of people when it comes to personal care and household cleaning products: DIYers and pre-made product purchasers. I call them "DIYers" and "no-can-DIYers." Once I learned DIY skin care was possible (and safe), I began making everything I could. For those who aren't DIYers, doTERRA's lines of On Guard cleaning products and essential oil-based skin and body care products are perfect for you, and they still help you get those harmful ingredients out of your home since dōTERRA never uses the following ingredients in its personal care products:
Artificial colors
Diethanolamine (DEA)
Formaldehyde donors
Parabens
Phthalates
Propylene glycol
Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES)
Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)
Toluene
Triethanolamine (TEA)
Animal testing
For those who like to "do it yourself," we offer recipes. The following recipes are ones that I tested and tried and tweaked for a year and a half before I started sharing them. I found and tried other recipes along the way, and these are some of my favorites.
Facial Cleanser
This cleanser is a bit runny, so if you're used to a creamy cleanser you might have to keep searching. I kept this in a plastic bottle with a flip-top lid, and after I got used to it, I liked that I didn't have to get my face wet first like I did with a creamy or even gel-based cleanser.
2 TBPS vegetable glycerine
4 TBSP liquid Castile soap
1 TBSP alcohol-free witch hazel
1 drop each rosemary, peppermint, melaleuca, and lavender
Mix together and store in plastic or glass bottle. Lasts 3-6 months.
Oil Cleanser
I first read about oil cleansing here here. It takes extra time and effort that I believe are worthwhile especially if you have acne-prone skin as I do. The cleanser recipe above is great, though, and most of my DIY friends and clients prefer it to oil cleansing.
-Oily Skin: 1/3 castor oil or hazelnut oil (I use hazelnut) and 2/3 olive or sunflower oil (I use sunflower)
-Combination Skin: 1/4 castor or hazelnut oil and 3/4 olive or sunflower oil
-Dry Skin: All nourishing oils like olive oil, or a very small amount of castor/hazelnut Oil added to the nourishing oils. (Nourishing oils also include coconut oil, which can be used in place of sunflower or olive for any skin type, but it is recommended to let your skin adjust to oil cleansing before incorporating coconut oil.)
-EOs are optional. I add a few drops of doTERRA's Zendocrine oil blend as it is a great detoxifier for the filtering organs (of which the skin is the largest).
Here are Wellness Mama's directions on how to oil cleanse:
In the shower or at the bathroom sink, pour about a quarter size amount of the oil blend into your hand and massage into the skin on your face (don't wet skin first). Use smooth circular strokes and let this also be a gentle facial massage. Massage for at least a minute (two minutes is better) or until you are sure that the oil has saturated your skin. This will also remove make-up very effectively, so there is no need to remove make-up first. You can even leave the oil on the skin for up to 10 minutes to really deep clean pores.
Place a clean washcloth under very hot tap water (or shower water) until it is completely soaked and quickly wring it out. Open it and place over your face. This will create steam against the skin to remove the oils and any impurities in the skin. Leave the wash cloth on for about a minute, or until it cools. Repeat if needed with the other side of the washcloth and then use the corners of the washcloth to gently remove any remaining oil. There will still be a thin layer of oil on the skin, and this is beneficial.
Typically, no moisturizer is needed after the adjustment period, but if you still have dry skin, try reducing the amount of astringent oil and using one of the moisturizers below.
Notes on Oil Cleansing:
It is normal for it to take a week or so for skin to adjust, and you may even see more oily skin or more breakouts during this time as impurities leave the skin. If you can, resist the urge to use harsh soaps or facial cleansers during this time, as it will make the adjustment period take longer.
You will likely have to experiment some to find your perfect ratio.
If you do this in the shower, make sure to clean your shower floor regularly so it doesn't get slippery!
* * *
My personal notes: I oil cleansed at night and still used my toner and moisturizer in the morning. I also didn't find oil cleansing sufficient to get all of my eye makeup off, so I've used eye makeup remover (recipe below).
Facial Scrub
This is so easy! I was skeptical at first but grew to love this.
1 cup baking soda
5 drops melaleuca
5 drops lavender
3 drops frankincense (optional)
Combine ingredients in container; shake to mix well. Apply to wet skin in circular motions. (I liked to apply with damp fingers, too.) Rinse well (no need to wash off with cleanser).
If you're wondering where to fit in a facial scrub with oil cleansing, I would do it a couple of times a week after oil cleansing. I didn't scrub at all for the first couple of weeks of oil cleansing to allow my skin to adjust. One friend says she loves to add coconut oil to make this a creamy scrub. Another says she likes Zendocrine oil blend in her scrub and mixing the scrub with the cleanser. Let me know if you have your own variation.
Toner
I love a good toner. I also have doTERRA's toner and really like it (for those no-can-DIYers who have gotten this far!) Although I know that a good, pH-correct toner balances the skin after cleansing, I think my favorite part is how the spritz on my face wakes me up in the morning.
6-8 oz brewed organic chamomile tea
2 TBSP alcohol-free witch hazel
1 tsp vegetable glycerine
3 drops each roman chamomile, melaleuca, and lavender
3 drops each clary sage and grapefruit (optional)
Let tea cool. Combine all ingredients on 2-4 oz glass spray bottle. (Refrigerate leftovers or share with a friend.) Shake to blend. Shake before each use. Spray directly onto skin (or onto cotton ball to wipe off residue/makeup). Lasts up to 2 months.
Moisturizer
You're going to think I'm oil crazy here, and that's OK. I thought this sounded a bit over the top when a friend introduced me to it, too. All I can say is that after I started using an oil-based moisturizer, I stopped getting dry patches around my nose and mouth, and my forehead doesn't get nearly as greasy. Your skin knows how to absorb and use oil. If you strip your skin too much, it will create more oil to compensate. If you don't nourish and moisturize your skin enough, it will create more oil to compensate. Oil attracts oil, so even if you're oily and have clogged pores, oil is the answer for you. Trust me ... and let me know how it works for you.
I use 3 drops each of frankincense, sandalwood, myrrh, lavender, and melaleuca and 2 drops of geranium in a 10 ml dropper bottle. (You can leave out the melaleuca if you're not acne prone. The others are for anti-aging and all-around good skin. If you're new to doTERRA and just have a starter kit, start with frankincense and lavender plus melaleuca if you're acne prone or oily. I started with these three and had great results. I'm just at an age where I want all the anti-aging benefits I can find.) Fill to the top with jojoba (or your favorite facial carrier oil; grapeseed is great for oily skin, and coconut or almond oil work well for dry skin).
If you just can't deal with not having a cream as your face moisturizer, you might like this green tea face cream or homemade lotion.
Eye Makeup Remover
What can I say? I used to spend several times the amount of money it takes to make this eye makeup remover. Whether you purchase a pre-made eye makeup remover or just use baby oil (EEK! Talk about making your skin age and get out of balance!), I encourage you to try this. It is so simple, so easy, so natural, so safe ... and it works! (As with any eye makeup remover, try not to get it in your eyes. I haven't met one yet that doesn't sting a bit if it comes in contact with the eyeball.)
2 T Jojoba oil
1/2 T Castille Soap
5 T water
(What? It doesn't even have essential oils in it? Nope. That's your freebie. ;-) And it came from this site: http://www.lifelibertyhealthiness.com/2013/08/homemade-eye-makeup-remover/)
Lip Balm
I was afraid I would never find a lip balm I liked as much as the one I used to buy, but I knew if I went to the trouble to make one, I had to give it enough time to get used to it. I was happy that it only took a couple of days to fall in love with this one. (A friend tells me it isn't "glossy" enough; if you prefer a lip gloss, stay tuned. I haven't made one yet, but I have found a few recipes I intend to try.)
2 TBS beeswax, grated or pastilles (pastilles make it easier)
1 TBS coconut oil
1 TBS sweet almond oil
1 TBS cocoa butter
12 drops doTERRA essential oil (Be creative with the essential oil you choose. I use lavender and myrrh. I have tried peppermint and lavender and liked that combo. Some other options might be wild orange or lime. My kids love the smell and taste of wild orange but say the peppermint tingles too much, so I make theirs with lavender and wild orange.)
Using the double boiler method, place a glass jar (I use a glass measuring cup with a pour spout) into a pot of room temperature water. The water only needs to be a couple inches deep. Measure all ingredients into the jar, except essential oils. Bring the water to a simmer over medium heat. Stir the ingredients occasionally until melted. Remove from heat. Add essential oil and stir well. Use a medicine dropper or small funnel to pour liquid into lip balm tubes. (I found the mixture clogged up the dropper and the funnel, so I just pour as quickly as I can from the glass measuring cup into the tubes.) Be sure to fill completely because the lip balm will shrink slightly as it cools; you may even want to wait until the lip balm solidifies and then pour a bit more in to top it off.
You can get lip balm tubes here:
So, that's it! I would love to hear if you have any other recipes or variations. If you try these, please comment on your results.
*Update: Now that I live in an RV, I don't have the luxury of space to cart around all of the supplies to make my own skin care and am instead using many skin care products made by dōTERRA. I use the Verage skin care line in the morning and HD Clear at night and have been doing so for well over a year now. I have been super impressed with these products, and I'm now a convert. My routine now looks like this:
Morning - Verage Cleanser, Verage Toner, Verage Serum, and Verage Moisturizer. I use the Correct X Ointment as my morning eye cream.
Night - HD Clear Foaming Face Wash, Pore-Reducing Toner, HD Clear Roll-on for trouble spots/blemishes (which have become rarer on this regimen; my skin is the clearest it has been since puberty), HD Clear Moisturizer, and Essential Skin Care Tightening Serum around my eyes. If you like a really great exfoliating system, I have the Reveal Facial System and really like it. My skin is sensitive, and I haven't had any problems with it. I guess you could say I'm sold on the no-can-DIY line ... and it is saving me some time along with space, which is helpful with my thriving business, active boys, home-schooling, and life on the road.
Whether you choose to make your own or order doTERRA's products, I think you'll love essential oil-based skin care! Contact me if you're not already set up with a wholesale membership to get the best pricing. I'm happy to help and thankful to have a growing base of customers and team members to serve!